Coastal Landforms Revision

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For this section you need to know:

How the size of material differs on a beach and why. The formation of a spit landform Problems of coastal erosion

Why is the larger material found at the back of a beach?

Processes of wave erosion:

Abrasion - a "saw" effect. Beach material is hurled / thrown against the cliffs. This is caused by the force of the waves which are in turn caused by the wind etc... Hydraulic Action - a "hammer" effect. Water compresses air into cracks on the cliffs and forces them wider. Corrosion / Solution - chemical decomposition of the cliff. (acidic water etc...) Attrition - beach material is bashed together so it reduces in size.

Formation of wave cut platforms

1. Original position of cliff 2. Cliff retreats 3. Present position of cliff 4. Sea level (high tide) 5. Wave cut notch at foot of cliffs 6. Wave cut platform

Coastal landforms

1. Joint or Fault in the resistant rock. 2. Blowhole - occasionally, water rises up through a vertical joint in the rock and is ejected through a blowhole. 3. Cave - abrasion and the hydraulic action of the waves widens the weaknesses in the cliff to form a cave. 4. Arch - waves cut through headland to form an arch which is continually being widened at its base by the force of the waves surrounding it. 5. Roof of an arch becomes too heavy to support and collapses. 6. Stack - an isolated portion of the cliff. 7. Stump - the stack is undercut and collapses leaving a stump.

Old Harry Rocks, Dorset.

Long shore drift

= a single sand particle. Points A, B, and C show how the sand particle moves along the beach

1. Waves approach beach at an angle - a similar direction to that of the prevailing wind. 2. Swash carries material up the beach at an angle. 3. Backwash carries material directly down the beach due to gravity. (slope of beach) 4. Wooden Groynes slow down movement of sand. 5. Accumulation of sand 6. Depletion of sand

The process of longshore drift.

Chesil Beach, Dorset.

Coastal spits

Points A, B, and C show the progression of the spit's formation. The curved ends are explained in point 6. 1. Fetch - direction of prevailing winds (and therefore waves) in approaching the beach. 2. Direction of Long-Shore Drift. 3. Salt Marsh 4. Original Coastline 5. River Estuary 6. Short term changes in wind and wave direction causing the curved ends to the spit. 7. Fastest current at the centre of the river.

San Diego, California

Spurn Head, Holderness

Bars These form in the same way as a spit initially but bars are created where a spit grows across a bay, joining two headlands. Behind the bar, a lagoon is created, where water has been trapped and the lagoon may gradually be infilled as a salt marsh develops due to it being a low energy zone, which encourages deposition. E.G Slapton Sands, Devon

Tombolos are formed where a spit continues to grow outwards joining land to an offshore island. E.g. Chesil Beach, Dorset joins Portland to the mainland